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Cosmo, and page one-seventeen had directions for making an awesome, fabric-covered bulletin board.
I wanted to tell her how great things had been going with Trip and me, and I knew she must have been
dying to fill me in about her plans with Pickford. I wanted to show her the pictures from graduation
that my father had finally gotten developed- there was a really great one of she and I, and Dad had
ordered two five-by-sevens so we could each take one to school.
To our separate schools, on completely opposite coasts.
Weeks before, when our New York plan was still in effect, Lisa and I had received our housing
assignments within days of each other, both of us scheduled to move in to our respective dorms on the
same date in August. Just one short day away.
I wondered when she d be expected to report to Hollywood Arts. I wondered if she was even able to
enroll at all. Didn t they have deadlines out in California? Didn t Pick need to be there early, too?
I did an Olympic turn at the pool s edge and pushed off with my feet, loving the feel of strength in
my legs and the constant testing of my body s abilities.
Just one more day.
I came up for air, pausing at the deep end, throwing my arms over the side to hold my head above
water.
I thought that Lisa and Pickford must have already left, probably days ago. Surely, they wouldn t
still be slumming around Jersey when a glamorous and exciting city like Los Angeles was awaiting
their arrival, right?
Then again... maybe I wasn t too late.
I hauled my sopping wet body out of the pool and toweled off.
* * *
I rang the DeSantos bell for the first time in years. It had been forever since I actually did that
instead of just giving a quick knock and waltzing right on in.
Lisa s mom answered the door.  Hey, Mrs. D.
Her eyes lit up, and my heart panged with guilt.
 Layla! How are you, sweetheart? I feel like I haven t seen you in so long! She put a hand on my
shoulder, ushering me into the house.  I m glad I get to see you before you take off for the big city.
Tomorrow, right?
 Yes. It s really weird, I can t believe it.
She gave my shoulder a quick rub and yelled up the stairs.  Lis! Layla s here! before turning back
to me and saying,  Go on up. She ll be happy to see you.
Obviously, Lisa hadn t told her mom about our blowout.
Then she gave me a big hug and added,  Oh, my little girls are both leaving! Where does the time
go?
I hugged her back, but didn t know what to say. There were too many things running through my
mind. So, I just said,  I m glad I got to see you before I left, too.
 I went upstairs and gave a knock on Lisa s door- again, another first- and she told me to come in.
She was sitting in the middle of the floor, surrounded by boxes and clothes and books and stuff.
 Hi, I said, a bit sheepishly.
 Hi, she said back. There was an awkward pause while I was thinking of the right way to launch an
apology, but Lisa broke the silence before I could.  Whadja come over to tell me to fuck off in person
this time?
The shocking words hurt, even knowing that I probably deserved them and a whole lot more. I
looked at her, ready to face head-on whatever else was coming.
But then I saw the smile eeking its way out from her lips.
Vintage Lisa, so ready and willing to forgive. I hadn t even apologized yet, but all she ever needed
was for me to just show up. She was always the bigger person, dammit, always so much more grown-
up and thought-out and cool. It made me wonder what her payoff was for staying friends with me all
these years.
 Okay, I deserved that. I decided to just lay myself out on the altar of humility.  But Lisa, Oh, God.
I m just so, so sorry for everything I said. I was selfish and rude and I don t know what got into me.
I sank down on the floor across from her as she said,  A little of the ol bitch, that s what.
 Yeah. I guess so.
 Maybe a pinch of jealousy?
I hadn t realized it until she said it, but there it was. No way could I even dream of taking off on
such a huge adventure.  Yeah. That too.
 And maybe a big old dose of Trip Wilmington s man-goo?
That one threw me, made us both start laughing.  Are you insane? What is wrong with you, perv?
Then, in answer to her ridiculously phrased probing,  And no, unfortunately. Virginity still very much
intact, you freak.
She picked up a green piece of fabric and threw it at me, but I managed to dodge to the side and
catch it in my hand.
 Look at you with the catlike reflexes!
I was busy inspecting the Girl Scout sash in my hand, checking out all her badges. I had a similar
one somewhere at home, with most of the same achievements. Except that Lisa s were lovingly sewn
on in perfectly aligned rows, whereas mine where stuck on haphazardly with Krazy Glue. Needless to
say, I didn t earn my sewing patch that year.  Where d you dig this thing out from? You re not
packing it, are you?
Lisa reached out and I handed it over, watching as she ran her fingers over the embroidered disks.
 No. I already packed my stuff for... the word California had become a four-letter obscenity between
us, and I sensed her hesitation to say it aloud.  ...for the car. I also have a stack of boxes downstairs in
the dining room which need to be shipped, but those she pointed to a pile of clothes in the corner,
 need to go to Goodwill, and this she swept her arms around the scattered remnants all over the floor,
 needs to get packed away for the attic.
 My God, Lis. Looks like you ve categorized every single thing you own!
 Pretty much, yeah.
I hopped up and grabbed one of the black garbage bags from a roll on the bed and started stuffing the
Goodwill clothes in it. Lisa tried to protest, but it was easier to talk while we were both preoccupied
with busy hands.
 So, when are you leaving? I asked.
Lisa stopped sorting and answered,  Tonight. Midnight. She sounded resolute, doing that
convincing-herself thing again.
 That s a weird time to start a trip.
  It was my idea, actually. It was the last possible minute that we could leave and still get there in
time for class registration.
 But why? What were you wai-
Oh.
I saw the look on her face and realized she d been waiting for me. There was no way she was
skipping town without us saying a proper goodbye.
 You knew I was coming today, didn t you?
She laughed out,  I knew you couldn t leave without doing so first.
 Oh, you manipulative witch!
I picked up her Cabbage Patch doll and went to hurl it at her big, poofy head when she stopped my
act with,  No, not Cassidy! Don t do it!
I was cracking up, even before looking into the dirty face of Cassidy Cleopatra Pink Poopypants
Bourgeois. Obviously, we d taken full advantage of the Rename-Your-Kid option on her birth
certificate. I remembered that we d also given her my mother s birthdate. That was back when Kate
was still around and I liked her enough to bestow such an honor.
 You re right. That would just be taking things too far. Sorry, Cass. I laid her in a box near where
Lisa was sitting, thinking that poor Cassidy had better be prepared for a very long hibernation. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]